Main menu

Post navigation

About Brittany W

I'm a student who is obsessed with food. After an adolescent life that was harsh on my body, I developed medical problems that led me on a path to finding out how to heal myself through nutrition. It was my goal to heal my body in the most natural way possible. My belief is that there is no "one size fits all" when it comes to nutrition, but I do believe that the answer should be a whole foods based approach. Our ancestors didn't live off of the typical processed American diet that we are sadly exposed to every day. I moved away from that type of diet to the Paleolithic diet and have never looked back. My philosophy: find what works for you and stick with it.
On my blog, you'll probably find an eclectic mix of things. I'll review recipes, discuss dietary supplements, food, exercise, and all around general well-being. It's important to keep in mind that a healthy body not only comes from the outside but the inside, too. I can be a little prolix and sarcastic but hopefully entertaining.

Though this blog started out as an experiment for a blogging class that is now over, I plan to continue blogging.

However, Gourmet B.C. is taking a brief hiatus. I accepted a position for a full-time job today, and in addition, I will be taking two classes for the first summer session. In order to stay sane, I have decided to take a break from blogging for a few weeks.

When I come back (around July), Gourmet B.C. will be revamped with a new layout and will have its own domain name (yes, that will still be Gourmet B.C.) (!).

Well, ladies, let’s talk about it. I can’t say there’s any one of us that loves our period.

As someone who suffers from menorrhagia, I completely empathize with all of you. Of course, I turned to tampons when I got old enough to wear them. Who didn’t? They’re so much easier, comfortable, and convenient to use. And no one wants to wear those icky pads. Walk around with blood hanging out in your pants all day? Yeah, it sucks.

Did you know that companies bleach tampons? Yeah, they do. Imagine that going in your.. you know what. Kinda gross, right?

I thought this was hilarious..

It’s also kind of gross that we continue to use these things. Because, let’s face it, what’s really happening when you use one is that it’s plugging you up. But seriously, you’re literally using it like a plug! How can this be healthy?

Short answer: it isn’t.

No one wants to go back to using the dreaded pads, and I wouldn’t recommend that you do. They’re terrible. What do I recommend instead?

I recommend using a cup.

A sampling of some of the menstrual cups offered

GASP! WHAT’S A CUP?! What is this thing?! There’s another option?

Yes, there is another option: a menstrual cup. And it’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s a flexible cup that can bend to your body’s unique shape.

I really do talk to all of my friends about my cup because I love it. It has literally changed my life, and I can’t imagine my life without one now.

Does it work? I have been using the cup for almost a year and it has never failed me unless I put it in wrong. That is, it’s my own fault that it doesn’t work.

Will it hold all my.. stuff? Yes, it will hold a significant amount of blood. I used to use 3 super plus tampons per day, and I can go all day without changing my cup.

Is it easy to use? It is once you get the hang of it. I won’t lie, when you first get the cup, there is a huge learning curve. You have to be comfortable touching yourself. You have to be patient. You have to learn not to freak out when it won’t come out (but don’t worry; it will come out!). Instead of worrying about my period all day, I simply change and wash it every morning in the shower and right before I go to bed – super simple. PS: you can wash it with a very common wash.

I’m intrigued. Where can I get one? Well, let’s talk about this question for a second. There are many, many menstrual cup companies out there to try. Of course, none of them are advertised on TV because the cup can last up to 10 years with proper care. The cost upfront is a bit steep; but if you think about it, you’ll be getting your money’s worth back within a few months.

Yes, you CAN save HUNDRED of dollars a year

Alright, now that that’s out of the way: let’s talk about a few aspects of the cup you need to consider:

Have you had a child? YES! This is a HUGE question to be asking yourself. The vaginal walls of a woman who has had a child are way different than those of one who hasn’t.

What kind of pliability do you need or want? Some of the cups are more “flexible,” while some are more “stiff.”

How do you want to pull your cup out? Some are built with a stem in, while others have a “knob” on the bottom. This is a preference, really. You’ll use whatever is on the bottom to pull it out.

What color do you want? No, seriously, this is a real question. There are some amazing colors out there.

There are many, many websites that can help you choose a cup. Here is one of them.

A nifty chart to help you pick a good cup

I was really lucky. I bought a Lunette and was in love from the moment I used it. I can only offer some advice if you decide to get one:

If you get one with a stem and don’t like the length, cut it.

You’ll find a position (and fold) of insertion that is most comfortable for you. I prefer the C-fold in a squat position. There are endless amounts of folds you can use to insert your menstrual cup comfortably. Here is a video of 9 of them.

To get the cup to pop open (you WILL hear it “POP”), twist it. The easiest way to do this is butt in the air, head to the floor – trust me. You have the greatest width (in the you know what) this way.

Don’t freak out if the cup doesn’t come out. It’s NOT going anywhere. You probably just need a better grip on it (and you need to relax). If you don’t relax, you’re guaranteed to be tensing the vaginal muscles that are holding it in place. Just pull it until you can grab the bottom of where the stem is. This gets better with practice, I promise.

Take the cup out when you’re in the shower or when you’re sitting on the toilet. I’ve never dropped my cup, but you’ll want to have a place to pour it out immediately.

If you need to rinse in a public bathroom, use a bottle of water.

Don’t wash the cup in warm water – use cold water ONLY! It will stain in warm water.

If you do get stains, don’t fret. Your cup isn’t ruined. Soak it in a 3% hydrogen-peroxide solution for 8 hours.

Menstrual cups are awesome. They really are. It freaked me out when I thought of the chemicals the tampon companies might be putting on their products. It’s evident that they are, though, since some companies advertise that they’re selling unbleached tampons. The best thing about menstrual cups, though, is that they’re environmentally friendly. Yup, no more wasting paper and cotton in the trash.

What do you think, ladies? Would you get a cup? Is there anyone out there who has one?

AUTHOR’S NOTE: The following is a guest post from everyone’s favorite character, Spongebob. What’s so great about Spongebob? Well, he’s relentlessly optimistic, and he’s always upbeat. Who better to write on a subject everyone hates (vegetables) than Spongebob? Spongebob takes us through the ringer with how to make them tasty. (HT: Idiot Nerd Girl)

Hey guys, Spongebob here!

Spongebob

Patrick was just telling me how much he hates vegetables. HATES THEM!

Patrick

Can you believe that? Right, Gary?

Gary?

Hello, Gary?

Where is that mollusk?

Well, anyway.

How great are vegetables?

Aren’t vegetables so tasty?

Come on guys, I want to hear it! Tell me how great vegetables are! TELL ME!

Did you know that you can bake vegetables? Yes! It makes them softer. Good vegetables to bake include brussel sprouts, asparagus, green beans, and of course, krabby patties. Krabby patties are a vegetable, right? Actually, any vegetable is bake-able, haha!

What’s so great about baking, you ask?! It makes the vegetables soft. Mmmm, so soft and tasty. Then, you can finish it off on the stovetop with a little oil and salt. Yummy!

Pan-fry ‘em

Stovetop frying is how we usually make our patties, but even I don’t have a stovetop at home. You can use a pan for this! I loooove pan-frying my vegetables because it reminds me of cooking patties! Just heat up the pan, put a little oil in the bottom, put your veggies in, and brown ‘em on all sides! Deeeee-licious!

Krabby patties are the BEST!

Dip ‘em

What better way to enjoy beautiful vegetables than to dip them in some sauce?! I love dipping my vegetables in some honey mustard or Krabby sauce. Did you know that Krabby sauce is the BEST sauce in the world? Yup. Well, you can just substitute for your favorite sauce, though I doubt it’ll be as good as mine, hehehe!

Salt ‘em

There’s nothing better than some salt, yum yum! Mmm, mmm, mmm! Salt brings out flavor profiles that weren’t there before. It makes the vegetables taste WAYYYY different and YUMM-Y! A very, very yummy different, of course. You could add a little pepper to them, too, but salt is my favorite!

Smother ‘em

Remember that time I smothered my krabby patty in jellyfish sauce?

Jellyfish jelly

Man, did that take off. Well, you can take this same idea and use it with vegetables! Just smother them in butter, Italian dressing, maybe add some krabby patties on top.. Just sayin’!

Well guys, I hope I’ve turned those frowns upside down in the name of vegetables! And, I hope you learned that krabby patties and vegetables are one in the same. Let me know your favorite way of eating your vegetables. Maybe we can even have a vegetable party! I’ll get Gary to plan it because he’s good at that kind of stuff.

Back when I got my DNA test, I tested ridiculously high for zirconium. We’re talking off-the-charts high. The doctor told me I needed to fix this immediately. For some reason, my body was hoarding zirconium. Well, what’s it in? It’s in antiperspirant.

So here I am, for the second year in a row, trying to switch to natural deodorant. Why do I always do this when the weather gets warmer? Of course, I sweat more when it gets warmer, and it smells gross. But, I had no choice. So, I went on a natural deodorant spree.

The problem with natural deodorant is that you have to find something that works with you. And, yeah, it’s really difficult. And expensive. But mainly difficult. Oh, and did I mention how expensive it is?

I must come from ancestors who didn’t sweat. Maybe they lived in Antarctica. When I sweat, it smells bad. This is coming from someone who eats a whole foods based diet. I don’t eat processed foods. I use soaps with minimal ingredients. I just have really, really smelly sebaceous glands (stinky sweat glands). Of course, maybe I also have some kind of overload of bacteria (check our Kris’ post if you have no idea what in the world I’m talking about).

It goes something like this: Brittany forgets to put on deodorant in the morning. Twenty minutes after leaving the house, Brittany realizes her mistake when she raises her arm to do something. Brittany panics. Now she can’t lift her arms FOR THE ENTIRE DAY!

Before taking on the oh-so-awesome world of natural deodorants, I used Degree’s Clinical Strength antiperspirant. This was the only deodorant that worked for me. YES, THAT IS HOW BAD I SMELL! I had to use clinical strength, people.

I have no idea what the big deal is about this stuff. Everyone is so hyped on it. Frankly, it sucks, and it’s really, really annoying to put on. Because it’s like a dry roll-on, you have to have a wet surface to put it onto, or it doesn’t do anything. They also make a spray, but trust me, it’s just as bad. In fact, I think I ended up with more deodorant spray on my feet (because it drips after it has been sprayed) than on my pits. And, I smelled after about 30 minutes.

More like not-lasting deodorant. While this actually smells pretty good, it hardly did anything for me. I had to reapply about 50 times throughout the day, and it just wasn’t worth it. Every time I sweated, the product seemed to go away, and I would have to reapply. Of course, it’s a stick, so it’s easy to use.

Out of all the deodorants, I hated this one the most. Why? It gave me rashes under my arms. My skin was literally peeling like a sunburn! It’s a shame because it smells relatively good. Not that it lasted a long time, anyway. And, it’s a stick, so it was easy to use. Seriously, though, I’d avoid this deodorant.

I really wanted to like this deodorant. Alba Botanica is a great company, in my opinion, and they always make their labels friendly to read. But, the deodorant just didn’t last. It’s purely unscented, which is good, but it can’t beat how long it didn’t last. Too bad. It was so easy to apply.

This deodorant smells AMAZING! I was so excited when I first took the cap off to smell it. It smells.. clean. Blossomy. Fresh. Like a regular deodorant stick. Super easy to use because it is a deodorant stick. Not long-lasting, though. I had to reapply several times throughout the day.

A friend on Facebook recommended I try Lavanila after I whined about my stinky woes. I was skeptical. It’s $14 on Amazon, but I figured what the heck, I’ve already spent about $75 trying other deodorants. When my package came in the mail, I didn’t know what to expect. I opened the box and took the container out. Can I just say I love the container? It’s weird. It’s round, different, and fun. But when I took that top off, my god. I was in heaven. It has an oddly alluring musky fruity smell. The smell itself is actually addicting. A week later, I still take the cap off to smell it. Yeah, that’s weird, sorry. Imagine my surprise when the deodorant lasted all day. ALL. DAY. All day people. I couldn’t believe it. The trick with this deodorant is to apply about 20 strokes to each arm.

Ease of use: 10/10
Smell: 2,000/10
Time lasted: 10/10

While everyone is different, no other natural deodorant has as many positive reviews as Lavanila. If you’re going to give a natural deodorant a try, try Lavanila.

Forgive my sweats people, but I’ve found a natural deodorant I love.

If you’d like to try any of these deodorants, just click the “via” beneath the image. It will take you to the Amazon page for the product!

At the store the other day, I was standing in line holding my basket, waiting to be checked out. My favorite baby food, Happy Baby, was on sale, so I was stocking up on some of my favorites. A woman behind me looked in my basket and inquired, “Aw, you have a baby?”

For a brief moment I paused. This was completely awkward. I don’t have kids, so how am I going to explain this?

I had two choices: lie and say I had a baby or don’t lie and say it’s for me. Now, if I said it’s for my baby, she’d probably ask how old the baby was, whether it’s a boy/girl, etc. That was way too much work. So, I chose the latter.

“No,” I replied. “I eat these.”

The woman just stared at me. I think she was perplexed. Here I was, a full-grown adult, buying and eating baby food. She was probably wondering if there was something wrong with me. Maybe I have some kind of baby-complex disorder. Maybe I liked pretending to be a baby. I can only imagine what she was thinking.

“Oh,” she said. “I see.”

But come on, doesn’t it make sense to buy these awesome little pouches? It reminds me a lot of the apple sauce pouches I see a lot of people eat (PS: I love apples, but I hate apple sauce. Maybe they should try adding some veggies to it). How convenient is that?

I’ll tell you how convenient: SO CONVENIENT! You don’t even have to refrigerate it. Plus! It’s made with organic ingredients. AND! They have zero chemicals. It’s just whole foods pureed, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and lemon juice. That’s it. Can you get any better than that? I think not.

Just because it says “baby” on it doesn’t mean it’s not for me. These pouches are incredibly convenient when I have to finish my lunch in 15 minutes. Granted, they are each like 60-70 calories, but I still manage to get some fruits and veggies into my system. Plus, it helps me get some vegetables in that I don’t normally eat (like sweet potatoes or pumpkin). On top of that, they‘re really delicious! Taste is one of the things I most favor when I choose products.

Adrenal fatigue is a collection of signs and symptoms, known as a syndrome, that results when the adrenal glands function below the necessary level. Most commonly associated with intense or prolonged stress, it can also arise during or after acute or chronic infections, especially respiratory infections such as influenza, bronchitis or pneumonia. As the name suggests, its paramount symptom is fatigue that is not relieved by sleep but it is not a readily identifiable entity like measles or a growth on the end of your finger. You may look and act relatively normal with adrenal fatigue and may not have any obvious signs of physical illness, yet you live with a general sense of unwellness, tiredness or “gray” feelings. People experiencing adrenal fatigue often have to use coffee, colas and other stimulants to get going in the morning and to prop themselves up during the day.

That’s a mouthful. Let’s break it down.

What are the adrenal glands?

The adrenal glands are a small organ, and they’re a pair. You have two adrenals: one attached to each kidney.

The adrenals secrete hormones, so it’s literally impossible without immediate medical care to live without them. Hormones feed the body, much like how we feed our bodies when we eat. We can’t live without food, and our bodies can’t live without hormones. The adrenals secrete a very important hormone: cortisol. Cortisol is the stress hormone. It helps to identify cortisol as a player in the “fight or flight” feeling we sometimes get. So, when you’re under stress, your adrenals secrete cortisol. In addition to cortisol, the glands release aldosterone, which controls blood pressure, and androgens and estrogen, which are sex hormones.

Recap: the adrenals support energy production in the body, particularly the digestion of foods.

Cortisol, a steroid, has three main functions. It causes the liver to produce sugar and causes break down of muscle and fat to create this sugar. Cortisol also helps the body regulate its response to stress. Lastly, cortisol decreases inflammation and decreases the immune system response. Excess steroids can lead to Cushing’s syndrome, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, weak muscles, characteristic bodily changes, and brittle bones.

Obviously, cortisol is important. You do need to produce cortisol, since it has so many functions in the body. It only becomes a problem when cortisol is consistently elevated.

Recap: cortisol normalizes blood sugar, controls the immune system, and regulates how the body deals with stress. Cortisol maintained at high levels is bad, bad, bad.

Why is this all so important?

It sounds great, but there are problems with maintaining high levels of cortisol. Cortisol isn’t meant to be released all of the time; we’re meant to have periods of relaxation. If you think about our ancestors, they were probably only really concerned when they were threatened in some way, enabling their fight or flight.

Let’s imagine our daily lives filled with stress. We put so much on our plate, so to speak, because we think we have the ability and technology to do so now. Jobs are more demanding; kids are demanding; school is demanding; life is demanding.

Let’s recap. I drew you guys this nifty diagram. The arrows represent the amount of cortisol released. The end result is how your body is feeling. You could view this as the amount of stress your body is feeling.

What happens when I have elevated cortisol levels for a long time?

Elevated cortisol levels result in adrenal fatigue, hence the very unhappy face in the diagram above. Maintaining elevated levels of cortisol has a whole list of negative side effects for the body, one of them includes fatigue. In addition to some of the excess cortisol effects listed above, elevated cortisol levels can lead to weight gain around the gut, depression, mental illness, and lower life expectancy. It can also affect your metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Translation: your body doesn’t work like it’s supposed to.

Maybe. How do you know? Doctors are very skeptical about “adrenal fatigue.” Most haven’t considered it a problem. Take me, for example; I’ve seen so many doctors and endocrinologists who tell me I’m perfectly healthy, even though I feel tired all the time. The last time I was there, the doctor I was seeing literally said to me, “There’s nothing wrong with you. Your blood work shows nothing. You’re fine. I have no idea why you’re tired. If I think of anything, I’ll call you.” I left with no answers. That was the last time I saw a Western doctor.

This article has a list that fits me perfectly (I now know I have adrenal fatigue, since the DNA test). If this sounds like you, you most likely have adrenal fatigue:

Morning fatigue — You don’t really seem to “wake up” until 10 a.m., even if you’ve been awake since 7 a.m.

Afternoon “low” (feelings of sleepiness or clouded thinking) from 2 to 4 p.m.

“Second wind” at 11 p.m. that lasts until about 1 a.m., when you finally go to sleep.

Cravings for foods high in salt and fat

Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms

Mild depression

Lack of energy

Decreased ability to handle stress

Muscular weakness

Increased allergies

Lightheadedness when getting up from a sitting or laying down position

Decreased sex drive

Frequent sighing

Inability to handle foods high in potassium or carbohydrates unless they’re combined with fats and protein

How do I heal adrenal fatigue?

Healing adrenal fatigue takes time, patience, and a lot of listening to your body. Most importantly, one needs to eliminate stress.

Again, this article has some great ideas for reducing stress and healing adrenal fatigue:

Adopting a natural whole-foods diet

Avoiding junk food

Drinking high quality water, not from the tap. Distilled or spring waters are best

Eating five to six servings of vegetables each day through juicing or adding them to meals

Avoiding white flour and other processed grains

Adding sea salt to your diet, replacing your table salt

Taking 2,000 to 5,000 milligrams of vitamin C each day

Taking a high strength B-complex supplement

Taking high quality fish oils

Adding licorice root extract and kelp to your diet

Doing a detox and using an infra red sauna

Replacing toxic chemical products used around the house with non-toxic alternatives

Spending some time in the sun each day

Doing something fun each day

Getting lots of rest

Laughing

Exercising

Minimizing stress

Taking negative people out of your life

Final thoughts:

It’s important to remember how the body works: all of the processes in your body interact with each other. It’s imperative to keep all of these processes working correctly. The adrenals are one of the most important organs in your body. Taking care of them sooner rather than later is paramount. We all get stressed, but avoiding stress is important in order to maintain good health and live a long life. Maybe Western medicine will begin to view the adrenals as important, but for now, take the advice of other people: reduce your stress!

It’s important to talk about weight, though. But, it’s not in the way that you think. Someone, one of my friends, actually, questioned my weight last week.

“Why aren’t you thin like one of those cave people, then?” he asked.

I shrugged at him, but I knew the answer.

I LOVEFRUIT! I should have shouted. I should have said something, anything, to put this person in his place. Why is it his business how much I weigh, anyway? And, secondly, what am I, then? More importantly, why was my first thought an explanation? I don’t have to explain anything to this jerk.

And here, my friends, lies a problem. You see, I’m a hugeadvocate for positive self-image (particularly body image) for girls and women. I say it all the time: women should not be defined by their appearance or their weight. Unfortunately, my friends, I’m also a huge hypocrite.

I have never had positive body image. I was always “overweight,” starting in elementary school. We were very poor, and my parents had no idea what nutrition was. Typical dinners included huge, fatty steaks (because they’re the cheapest), and large bowls of pasta salad (because boxes of pasta are cheap). Dessert was generally an every night thing because boxed chocolate cake was easy to make (and cheap).

Of course, it wasn’t all my parents fault. For several years, all I ate was granny smith apples and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Yes, I was a very picky eater. In fact, I used to eat 10 granny smith apples a day (I’m NOT exaggerating, it REALLY was that much).

Kids are cruel. And mean. And vicious. Appearance and weight is certainly a hot topic for people so young. It’s kinda ridiculous. Anyway, I was teased a lot. So, I’ve never had much positive self-image. Whenever I would go to the doctor’s, the doctor would say, “My goodness, you’re just as healthy as a horse!” and then lecture me on needing to lose weight. Sure, weight has negative aspects, but how is it that I’m so “healthy” and apparently “not healthy” at the same time? It’s all very confusing.

Now that I’m almost 26, things look different. I care and don’t care at the same time. Having the approval of my peers in terms of my weight and appearance doesn’t really matter because they’re not the ones deciding my grades or hiring me.

And, I don’t care because I’m healthy. I’m figuring out and feeding my body what it needs to be a successful member of society. Because, isn’t that the point? That I do something with my life, and not end up depressed because people don’t approve of my weight, of all things? Yes, I think that’s a good reason to stop caring what people think of my weight.

The only way to face my fears is head on, right? Since I’m nutritionally sound, who cares about my weight? So, here you go world: here is my scale this morning, after I ate breakfast (yes, I ate and then weighed!):

BAM! TAKE THAT, WEIGHT HATERS!

As Tryion says, “Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you.”